Improvement in the quality and ornamentation of metals



PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ROSE, OF HALESOWEN, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY AND ORNAMENTATION 0F METALS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,174, dated July 7,1863.

'dom of England, manufacturer, a subject of Her Britannic Majesty, haveinvented an improvement or improvements in piling or com bining metalsto be used in the manufacture of arms and cutlery and for various otherpurposes; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull and exactdescription of my said invention-that is to say:

My invention consists of certain improvements in manufacturingornamental metal which may afterward be worked up into gun or pistolbarrels, ordnance, or any other kind of arms, swords, knives, andcutlery in 'general, engine-building, boiler-making, armorplates, andvarious other uses; and my object has been to produce an ornamentaleffect on the surface of the metal, and which effect shall not beconfined to the surface only, but shall run through its entire body, sothat such ornamental surface shall not be liable to be destroyed bywear, the metal being also rendered stronger and more tenacious by theprocess. This I efl'ect by so piling or combining together rods of ironand steel or various kinds of iron or various kinds of steel, thesection of such rod being of any figure I please, so that when united byheating and rolling the mass or bar presents in its cross-section acheckered appearance. This bar mayafterward be twisted, and, as everyturn of each twist will vary the pattern, an endless variety ofornamental lines may be produced upon the surface, and this effect willbe still further diversified when the metal is intended to be worked upinto twisted gun or pistol barrels by the very process of twisting orcoilingthe metal for such purpose.

I am well aware that a metal consisting of layers of iron or steel piledor laid upon each other in one direction has already been used inmanufacturing what are commonly known as Damascus or damascenedgun-barrels and sword-blades; but mine is an entirely different methodof piling, as by my plan of piling the bars are so interspersed as thatthe lamina of the metal shall be at right angles throughout the billet,and one which renders the finished metal of the same character andtexture throughout,instead of producing mere surface ornamentation.

The mode of carrying out my process is as follows: I take bars of ironand steel, by preference selecting the best charcoal or stub iron forthe one metal and blister-steel for the other, and I arrange these barsalternately, or, as the workmen term it, hand over hand, in such mannerthat a cross-section of the combined mass presents a checkeredappearance in the lamina, and it the bars of which this billet be formedhave been of a square section the section of the billet will somewhatresemble a chess-board, the check or pattern thereon resulting from thedifl'erent colors or qualities of the metals. This billet or compoundbar, being heated and rolled out or reduced to therequisite size, stillpreserves the same checkered section, and if twisted, as -it may readilybe, during subsequent heatings, by suitable machinery for that purpose,any variety of patterns may be produced, and, as a necessary result,these patterns will pervade the entire body of metal, and will wear asthe metal wears so that when made up into damascened barrels for small-arms, ordnance, swords, table and other cutlery, or into other similararticles for which it may be applicable, the ornamentation, which willbe of a very high character, will be as lasting as the article itself. Asimilar efi'ect will be produced by the employment of two or more kindsof iron, varying in color, shapes, forms, and quality, while for some ofthe purposes above named-such as sword-blades and'tahie-cutlery, inwhich it may be necessary to employ all steel-different qualities,shapes, forms, and colors of steel may be selected, and as good anornamental appearance will be the ,result. A very strong metal isproduced also by these means, serviceable for various otherpurposes-such, for instance, as many parts of engine-building,boiler-making, the making of armor-plates for vessels of war--for all ofwhich uses and many others of a similar kind this metal will be foundvery useful.

Having thus described the nature of the said invention and in whatmanner the same is to be performed, I would state that I lay no claim topiling iron by laying bars one upon the of giving the mass when workedacheckered other in one direction only, as this has long appearancethroughout, as herein more fully been practiced; but set forth andspecified.

What 1 do claim for the purposes of ornementation and strength is-WILLIAM ROSE The piling or combining of metals into a bil- Witnesses:let so that the lamina of the metal of some of J. M. G. UNDERHILL, thebars shall be at right angles to that of some 0. A., U. S. A. of theother bars on the pile, for the purpose EDWARD J. PAYNE.

